Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Hello there

It's been forever since I've posted here. My fellow Ranksters haven't been setting any posting records either. I strongly suspect that no one is reading this blog any longer -- let's face it, there's been little to read -- though I can't bring myself to look at the site traffic.

One reason that I've written nothing here for a while, as I was telling some of my close associates the other day, is that I've gotten bored with Taiwanese politics. I've been here long enough to see how most of the sound and the fury signifies nothing. So I've mostly tuned out.

But to hell with all that -- I do, despite everything, have something to blog today. It's not a new insight, but it needs to be put in print somewhere -- who told all these Taiwanese people that as soon as the temperature falls below 18C they need to equip their doggies with sweaters? Isn't it clear to all that dogs come equipped with fabulous coats of their own? Why must man's best friend be humiliated in this manner?

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Michael Turton has posted about Why the DPP Lost the Election. I agree with much of his analysis, but I also think that the DPP's attempts to capture the middle have also contributed to their problems.

Taiwan and the US are similar politically in that the vote is pretty much split down the middle. The DPP has been following an outdated strategy used by Clinton and Blair in the 1990s to reposition leftist parties back in the mainstream. But what Karl Rove has realized is that without a true left and with parties split down the middle, the key is to energize your base.

The blues, who have lost two straight presidential elections, are energized with the emergence of a viable candidate. Ma energized them even further by threatening to resign as KMT Chairman if the KMT did poorly in Saturday's 3-in-1 elections.

The greens, however, are alienating, rather than mobilizing their base by their attempts to move to the center. Taiwanese nationalists feel let down by a party that fired them up with calls for a new constitution and a new name for the country and then turned around and told them to forget about it.There's also a lively discussion of Michael's post over on Forumosa.

Monday, December 05, 2005

Dog Day Night

Every dog has his day … and DogOfTheSouth had his Friday night. I have to say it was some of the best Chinese wedding banquet food I have had. And I was introduced to the magnificence of Maker’s Mark. I learned that Jack Daniel’s is not bourbon. All in all, a very productive evening.

I think we can excuse Dog for reduced posting frequency in consideration of nuptial-related activity … and Congratulations!